


The Doctor and The Millionaire

by choriarty



Series: What if...? [1]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-25
Updated: 2012-06-26
Packaged: 2017-11-08 12:41:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/443307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choriarty/pseuds/choriarty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Bruce Banner had been the scientist stuck with Tony Stark in the cave in Afghanistan?</p><p>The first in my 'What if...?' series. Like what Marvel is already writing, but stuff that A) Haven't made or B) I did not know existed.</p><p>Not *too* shippy. Maybe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Awakening

Tony coughed and wheezed as he woke up. His throat felt like it was coated in battery acid and he needed water. God, he really needed water. The last thing he remembered was his sweaty and grimy hair plastered to his forehead as the bag was removed from his head. A red light, a recording camera, yelling in some language. His head was pounding and the world around him span as he blinked rapidly. The light above him only just started to come into focus when he noticed a feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

His hand started clumsily exploring his chest. Something was on his chest. Something was on his chest. Something was pressing down on his chest. He needed to get it off. In the back of his mind, he registered the sound of someone else in the room. They were tinkering around with equipment on a table somewhere. His hand found the thing on his chest and his heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t moving. It was stuck on- no.... in him. Something was in him oh god.

He made a whimpering noise and looked down at his shirt. Panicked, Tony started ripping off the buttons as fast as he could. It was not fast. He was still incredibly tired and weak. Instead he started undoing his shirt, and his fingers slipped multiple times. He only saw a peek at the thing lodged in him when the person in the room spoke to him. He was suddenly at the side of his bed.

“Let me help with that.” The man said. He sounded... sad. An emotion Tony couldn’t place. Depressed? Regretful? Sorry? Large hands guided his out of the way and to the side, working on the buttons of Tony’s shirt. His eyes widened and he let out a cry of shock and distress. Tony started fumbling with words, profanities and whimpers tumbling from his mouth.

The man’s hands fell away and Tony didn’t notice. If he looked up, he would have seen the worried face of Doctor Bruce Banner.


	2. Time Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The silence reminds Tony of reality, so he fills the silence.

It had been several days, and everything was explained to Tony. Bruce Banner had just been some poor scientist in the wrong place and the wrong time, or so he said. He didn’t think that was the whole truth, but it didn’t matter that much at the moment as long as he was on his side.

In fact, Bruce Banner had proven to be a good companion. They both discussed many things: science, politics (not Tony’s favourite, but it filled the silence), escape plans. In fact, Bruce had come up with the idea for their ticket out. Not that Tony would ever admit it. It was based a great deal off of what he had proposed to the millionaire, and he in turn had drawn the blueprints.

“Wait.” he interrupted Tony. He turned around from his pencil and paper, raising his eyebrow. Why would he stall the plan anymore than they had to? Bruce had walked up towards the man and placed another piece of paper on top of it, covering the entire drawing. He gathered the stack of papers and brought it to a light, holding it over them and revealing the still visible sketch. Tony looked at the man and beamed, earning him a weak smile in return. “Brilliant.” he agreed.

Now they were working and the silence was almost deafening. Tony didn’t like listening to the thing in his chest, even if it was better than the first. He needed to fill the space with something, anything. The humming of the arc reactor was making Tony clench his teeth and he knew he was going to have to live with it. To live with this thing in his chest his whole life. He almost smiled at the irony of it being his own technology and he remembered an interview where he said ‘everything I make is a part of me’.

Tony finally spoke up. “So, Banner, have a family?” His question was met with silence and he turned his head. The man was bending over the table on the far side of the room, still doing what Tony had told him to do. He seemed to be out of it. The playboy philanthropist smiled at the man’s utter love of his job and threw a small wrench at his back.

Bruce Banner jumped at the sudden contact and his heart skipped a beat. His brain immediately went into a quick danger mode before he remembered that only he and Tony were in here. He breathed out a sigh of amusement and spun his chair around. “What was that?” he asked in a calm voice.

“Do you have any family?” Tony began again, returning to his work. Bruce’s small smile faded into a neutral expression and he swiveled the chair around once again. “No,” he murmured into the tools and metal on his bench. “no family.”

“What happened?” “Died.”

Tony didn’t say anything much after that, but the silence once again only lasted for a moment. The man was desperate to fill the space in the room with anything. “What happened?”

Bruce started at his work and soldered wires together. His hands never shook once, even with the drink his kidnappers had given him this afternoon. Or what he presumed was afternoon. “My dad killed my mom while trying to kill me,” he said with no emotion. “then he died when he tried to kill me again later in life.”

Tony hated silence, but god he hated dark pasts even more. What was worse was that after this whole thing he was going to have one too, goddammit. A couple of minutes past and Stark tried his damnest to fill the air with noisy work. The things he was doing didn’t need to be loud but he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries and he didn’t like the sound of his own death and he-

“-family?” Tony stopped what he was doing and turned around just a bit too fast. “What did you sau? Didn’t catch that.”

“Do you have any family?” Bruce said, no longer working. He was sitting on his chair, facing the millionaire as if he was just an average joe. Considering their situation, they were on equal terms to say the least. Tony stopped clenching the screwdriver in his hand and put it on his bench with a sigh. He stared at the wall.

“Nope!” he replied. “I don’t have any family.”

There was almost a moment of silence as Bruce pondered that. “Funny,” he finally spoke “you’re just like me.”

Tony looked up from his staring spot on the rock wall and opened his mouth to say something, but Bruce was back at work. He stared at the scientist’s back. His curly hair was greasy and messy, and he had obviously stopped caring about it last week. Tony started thinking about why he was here. This supposedly unassuming and mild scientist. Bruce had said that he studied the effects of gamma rays, and other medical ideas. He got this bright look on his face when they talked about anything to do with ‘saving people’. Medicine, breakthroughs, surgeries, you name it. It made Tony inspired sometimes how much this man loved his work. It was almost strange, how much he loved the idea of helping people. Like he needed to redeem himself, or try and fix all of the things Humans got themselves into. He was a person bent on cleaning up after the common man, and he could do so much more.

“Just like me, but with something to grab onto.” Bruce continued.


	3. The Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Bruce know exactly what their plan is.

“Morning.”

Tony Stark didn’t wake up surprised anymore. In the first few nights here he found it hard not to wake up in a cold sweat, forgetting and remembering the Arc Reactor all over again.

In fact, this morning he woke up after a great dream. One he didn’t remember, but no matter. He didn’t even blink at the light imbedded in his torso and he jumped up to his workbench.

“Cheery today?” Bruce grinned. He was sitting on his cot and looking at Stark, his hands on the side of the bed. He blew a stray curl from his face and tucked it behind his ear. He had quite a beard going on as well, and Tony wondered how long he had been here. He smiled at the scientist and once again earned one in return.

“Today we’re going home.”

\- - -

This afternoon Bruce accepted the paper cup which he received every day at the same time. It was normal water, laced with enough tranquilizers and adrenaline inhibitors to kill a horse. He thanked his captors politely and mildly in their language and turned around, returning to his table. The two armed men closed the large metal door, the slamming noise of iron on iron echoing throughout the room.

Bruce placed the simple, white paper cup on the edge of the table. He then proceeded to not drink it. Tony glanced at him from behind the curtain covering up their ‘project’. The playboy preferred to call it their ‘baby’ and always went on about how it was his ‘first time’, trying to make enough jokes to break the incredible Bruce Banner. All it did was make him grin, not once did the man laugh. Not that being captured and tortured by terrorists was something to laugh about, but Tony wanted to see more. He wanted emotion from the scientist. Every time the man would respond “If I do express emotions anytime soon, Tony. I assure you it will be the most destructive one.” when he asked for an explanation, Banner would flash his teasing, all-knowing grin at him. The one that said ‘I know something you don’t’. One time only, he got him to say something else. When he did say it, it sounded like an inside joke that only he knew. “You wouldn’t like it when I’m angry.”

\- - -

“So, no anti-feeling potion today, Bruce?” Tony teased.

“No.” he murmured. “Not today.”

“Why not?”

“You said it yourself. Today you’re going home.”

Both of them knew that that wasn’t what Tony said.


	4. Leap of faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce knows he isn't going home with Tony.

In the observation room, two men were very uncomfortable. Banner had not taken the water yet, and it had been an hour. If they waited any longer he would be a problem. In a foreign language, they reported to their leader. He screamed at them for not responding sooner. ‘An HOUR?’

‘You idiots let him go an HOUR without taking it? Go and deal with him now!’

\- - -

Tony and Bruce jumped at the knocking at the door. The sound was loud and angry, resonating throughout the cave. Tony felt his heart pace quicken and he pointed out “It isn’t finished.”

Bruce’s heart pace also became faster, and he almost betrayed a smile when he felt the familiar roar at the back of his mind. The drugs were wearing off, but not fully. Soon. The man had to admit, he missed the monster for a while. He spun to face Tony.

“Get in the suit.”  
“Wait, what about you?”  
“I’ll be fine.”  
“It isn’t finished-”  
“I will finish it. Get in.” Bruce ordered.

The millionaire straightened up at the sudden seriousness in his tone. Then he relaxed and nodded. Tony stepped behind the wall and into the suit, with Banner hooking him up. A shout came from behind the metal doors.

‘Doctor Banner!’ they said in a language Tony couldn’t understand. ‘We have told you that if you do not take your medicine, Stark will die!’

Bruce scowled and continued to set up the iron suit. The playboy philanthropist looked at him with worry as he ran the program on the laptop. Bangs and shouts came from the door.

‘They blocked the door!’ ‘Open it! Then take Stark away from the Doctor! They must be separated!’

“Don’t do anything stupid.” Tony begged, snapping Bruce from his science-induced trance. He looked up at the man in the suit, the one smile he hated. The one that said ‘I know something you don’t’. “You’re the only friend I have here. I mean, god fucking dammit. I've only known you for days and I know we have something, I have no clue what but it's something! We can be science bros! You'll join me in my super awesome lab that I designed and we'll make stupid experiments and we'll shout 'FOR SCIENCE' all the time! You're the only friend I have here, Bruce."

“I'm going to make sure you can go back to the friends you have out there.” Bruce stated quietly.

Then the door blew up.

\- - -

There was a ringing in Tony Stark’s ears. People were shouting and yelling angry things in another language and he didn’t like it. 40%. Bruce looked at the number like it was an old enemy, or one of the worst things in the world. He tucked a loose curl behind his ear, but caught himself. He looked at his hand like it had moved on its own, and he smiled just a bit. “I guess I need a haircut. Been down here for a while.”

“Why?” Tony interrupted. He needed to know. Why did he always have to drink that drug-laced water? Why was he here instead of some other scientist? What made Bruce Banner so special that not only did he have to go and get himself kidnapped, but he had to go and make Tony feel good. Why did he have to connect to him in a way that no one ever had? He felt like a friend that he should have made in high school while in science class. Why now? Why did they have to meet here?

Bruce didn’t look at Tony when he stepped out from behind the wall and disappeared from his line of sight. “Bruce!” he called. “I told you not to do anything stupid!”

“I’m not.” he replied, emotionless once again. Like this was normal, or like he had been caught by gunfire in lives past. For all of Tony’s genius mind, he couldn’t figure out the mystery that was Doctor Banner.

“I’m creating a distraction.” There was a moment of utter silence.

“For science.”

Bruce’s voice sounded like it cracked on the last word and Tony called out to him in vain as he rushed down the hall with a gun.


	5. Why the doctor stayed.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce thinks, and then makes the obviously smart decision. He is a scientist after all.

This was a stupid idea. It was very stupid and to be honest Bruce had no idea what he even planned to do after he grabbed the gun. He was a scientist for god’s sake and he didn’t think out anything past this moment.

He knew since the beginning that he wouldn’t be able to stay with Tony or come with him back to his home. The thought make his chest tighten. The promise of a home... sounded nice. He would like a home. It had been a while since he had some.

But he couldn’t. Lucky for him, Stark hadn’t known who he was. Bruce found it almost funny how easy the man completed complex equations and created blueprints to contraptions the likes of which the world hasn’t seen. Yet when it came to people, Tony Stark was clueless.

No, he couldn’t go with him. He was a monster.

Bruce was here longer than Tony Stark, much longer. He had lost the count of days, not that it mattered. Bruce might have even stayed in here longer if it wasn’t for the millionaire. He had been in this country for a while and let his guard down. He thought no one knew he was here. Bruce was wrong though. He had been tricked into coming here in the first place, and the scene was just as crystal clear as when it happened. He had to admit, he even knew it was a trap. He came anyways, he was The Hulk, right? What could go wrong?

There was a hostage. A young girl that he had helped just the week before. The captors told him that if he didn’t drink the drug-laced water daily, they would shoot her. So he took it, and he stayed. He was kept for god knows how long, for what seemed like no reason. He always wondered why he was captured.

They didn’t make him create weapons, they didn’t experiment of him, they didn’t interrogate him; and it was only until after two weeks that he finally found out why he was here.

The two men guarding the doors always talked. Gossip and complaints usually spouted from their mouths. Bruce decided to ignore it. However, one day he picked out the name ‘Thunder Ross’ as he was trying to tune them out and meditate. His heart immediately started beating faster and all of his senses went on red alert. The man listened to them talk about how he was being kept here for that man, and he was going to be picked up soon. No. No, no no, no. This couldn’t happen.

That day was the first time when he didn’t take the drink. He needed to get out. He was going to transform and take the girl with him, he had to. He knew the Hulk was a monster, but he was good too.

He hoped. Oh god he hoped that was true.

But the drugs wore off too slowly, and men came into his room before he could even feel the dull green anger at the back of his head. They were yelling at him and pointing guns at him, and he just raised his hands and responded as calmly as he could.

‘Drink the water!’ ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘You must drink the water or we will shoot!’ ‘I’m sorry I can’t-’ ‘Take it! Take it now!’ ‘I cannot take it.’ ‘We will shoot the girl!’ ‘No, wait!’

And they shot her. The men shot the 5 year old girl right then and there.

And then he felt it. He heard the furious roar in the back of his head. Bruce felt the creature banging on the bars of its cage, and it was so very angry.

But his eyes must have betrayed something, something green, because suddenly the gunmen froze and called for reinforcements. Another jumped into the room in less than a second and shot a dart at him. Bruce growled from the bottom of his throat and pulled the small thing out, making the men step backwards quickly.

All too fast, the world started to fade away as Bruce screamed “NO!” over and over. “YOU KILLED HER!” The last thing he remembered was falling onto the stone floor.

But that was the past, and Bruce had to act now. Tony Stark had been the second hostage, the second leverage to make Bruce drink, and the second reason that he didn’t take the water. Most of all, he thought, he was his first friend. Banner’s first true friend. They had connected in what seemed like no time in this cave; and every moment, every conversation, every time he made the playboy philanthropist laugh, Bruce Banner told himself he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

He was going to get Tony Stark out of here. Tony had something for him out there in the world, and Bruce didn’t.

It was the least that he could do to repay him for making these days more bearable.

So, Bruce did the only thing he could think of in this situation. The monster was still caged in the back of his mind, and he needed to stall. He needed time. So he made it.

Bruce Banner uttered a very pathetic roar (in his optinion. He didn’t think he could compare to the Other Guy) and flailed the AK-47 around, shooting the ceiling and walls up like swiss cheese. Men cried out and called for retreat, running back towards the entrance. Banner smiled and thought that this was easy, maybe he wouldn’t have to use Him today. Maybe he could stall enough to let Tony Stark do his job and they would both get out of here. He started to smell fresh air. It had been so long, just a couple of meters now. Down the path and through the corridor and he would be home free-

Bruce’s cry faded into a whimper as he came into the main entrance. More than two dozen men pointed guns at him.

His last thought was a hope that Tony Stark had gotten enough time.


	6. The End?

If only this was different.

If only Tony had met Bruce under different circumstances.

If only.

Stark shot a glare at the shitty laptop on the table in front of him. 90%. “Go faster you piece of crap, the computer I designed for grandmas works better than you.”

It was true, Tony didn’t know much about Doctor Bruce Banner. They had known each other for a couple of weeks at most, not even. The fact that it was Banner here meant that production went fast, stupid fast. If Tony got a hold of this genius in his lab, think of the things they could do! Together!

He didn’t know everything about him, and he was damn sure that he was keeping secrets, but he knew potential when he saw it. Bruce Banner had a ton of it.

Not just the potential to create something the likes of the world could never imagine, but the potential to maybe- just maybe- be great friends. If someone asked right now, Tony would bark that they were already. But Bruce was different. He wanted- he needed to get closer to him. There were so many layers of this man and he wanted to study them all.

Most of all, Bruce was right. The two of them were the same.

Tony had met this person in the darkest place, this person seemed like his other half. He had gotten a hold of this man, and he was about to be torn from his grasp.

He was going to make sure that everyone knew that what belonged to Tony Stark, was never to be stolen from him. Bruce Banner was his property.

The computer beeped.

“100%. Finally.”

\- - -

 

Bruce Banner was only somewhat aware of the excruciating pain from being shot. It was dull and pushed back, fighting for priority over the green anger screaming in the back. Both together were overwhelming, a mixture of feelings and pain that he didn’t want. The Other Guy was helping him, by healing up the wounds; however it was slow compared to if Bruce actually transformed. He had never wanted to more than now. He just wanted a way out. He wanted to run away before Tony arrived and got caught up in this dirty mess.

Everything around Bruce was dull compared to the sharp roaring and banging around of the monster. People shouting and crying out seemed like echos or background static. There were gunshots and explosions somewhere, but all he could hear was Him. He was going to come out soon. Just the last leg of the race left.

It had been a nice run, and Bruce was tired.

He wondered if the Big Guy would make it.

Something came into the room with a big THUD. It was big and metal. The Iron Man Mark I was crappy, Bruce liked to think. Tony Stark could- would make a better one, in the future. He was sure. The man had a lot of potential.

Bruce himself, however, was at the end of his rope. He wouldn’t die... no, not today. Yet he was stuck in a rut. Couldn’t go any farther than where he already was, and couldn’t go backwards either. Not to say that where he was was a bad place, he just kind of envied Tony Stark in that way. The freedom, the resources he had, the man would go far.

Iron Man approached Bruce with care and he could barely make out the words “Are you okay?” through the sudden roar. He wasn’t okay. Tony needed to get out, he needed to leave before He woke up and-

“It’s a trap.” Bruce managed to cough out.

\- - -

Tony’s worry suddenly turned into rage. No. No, no, no, no, oh hell no. Nobody touched Tony Stark’s shit without his permission. He swung around to face the leader of the terrorist group, machine whirring and clanking and hissing. The man had a grande launcher with the bold logo ‘STARK INDUSTRIES’ imprinted on it. It made his stomach churn and his chest tighten.

“Such a shame,” he spoke in perfect English, with a slight accent. “my client will not appreciate the damaged goods I will deliver to him.”

Tony growled within his iron suit, speaking up to talk through the metal face plate. “What are you talking about?”

“Haven’t you wondered why Doctor Bruce Banner is here? It is not an accident.” he described. “He is a monster.

“The man is wanted by the army, Stark. He is a wanted criminal and creature, hunted for murder. He destroyed an entire city, and levelled buildings without breaking a sweat. He-”

There was a shot, and the man fell to the ground unceremoniously. Dead. Tony turned around to face Bruce Banner, who had a gun in his hand. His face held an expression of determination mixed with pain. His grip slackened, and the gun clattered to the ground. His head fell back and he breathed out. That was too close.

Tony didn’t waste any time, stepping towards the doctor and bending down as far as he could. “Let’s get out of here, Bruce. I’ll take you home.”

“Don’t you believe him?” he cut the millionaire off with a rasp. “Leave this monster here.”

“No.” Tony snapped. “I don’t care. You’re you, Bruce Banner. I don’t give a rat’s ass if you are a monster or if what that terrorist said was true. Let me take you home.”

Bruce stared in amazement at him, then relaxed his face and closed his eyes. Tony cried something out, but Bruce cut him off. “I don’t have a home, Tony. You go home to yours. You have something waiting for you, I don’t. I have nothing to hold onto but myself, but you, you have something- someone. The world still needs you. You have the power to change the world.”

“Change it with me.” Tony pleaded, desperate.

“Go home.” Bruce commanded.

Iron Man listened to his friend’s last request, and made sure to take out all of the bastards who did this on his way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry. There's an epilogue. I'll post it in a while.


	7. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because I hate loose ends and sad endings.

The terrorist hideout was ablaze and filled with yelling. People barked orders and cried out as a metal man took his rage out on each and every one of them. The fire was getting bigger and hotter with every second that passed. One second, several men fell down dead; bullet to the chest, third degree burns, and falling debris. Two seconds, crates containing ammunition started catching fire. Three seconds, small missiles followed.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

The one man army noticed the large bomb that was being licked by the flames. The white, hot fire played at the edges of it and crawled up the sides, teasing fate.

He decided it was time to leave.

Tick, tock, tick.

From inside the cavern, a man fell asleep. He was tired, and it had been a long day. His blood soaked through his shirt and pants leg. It was warm and wet and uncomfortable. Sand clung to his clothing and hair, mixing with the grease that had accumulated within the weeks that he had been in here. He wanted to taste the fresh air that was just a few metres away from him, teasing him.

But his eyes were closed, and he drifted off.

Tick, tock.

A monster woke up.

A bomb went off.

Tick.

The metal man escaped barely, and fell to the ground a couple of miles away. The hot, dry sand broke his fall and he was half imbedded in it. He watched the great blazing fire lick at the sky and black, billowing clouds of death rise up from the carnage. The friend he left in there would haunt his dreams for years to come.

Until they met again, in the future.

The ringing in the man’s ears prevented him from hearing the roar on a creature deep within the camp site.

The monster had escaped, and fled in the opposite direction of the metal man’s flight path. It jumped from mountain to dune, heading off to a more secluded area. Both the man and the monster would remember the playboy philanthropist, and think about him now and then. When it was safe, the doctor would watch the television of a patient’s home and hope to catch a glimpse of the millionaire.

But that is in the future.

And the future is full of possibilities.

Including a scene when the two meet again. The Iron Man will shake the doctor’s hand and tell him how he is a fan of how he becomes an enormous green rage monster. The doctor will smile, because the Iron Man knows about him. And he still considers him a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah, okay. That's the end of this one now. Phew! I actually finished a story, wow! If anyone has any ideas you can drop them off in the 'What If...?' series' comments. I'm happy to take prompts, although I still have a few to work through. I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
